Dream with Me
by Vitreux
Summary: Just how far is Ed willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect that smile?[EdxWin]
1. Arrival

**Dream with Me**

By Vitreux

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Chapter One**

Arrival

* * *

Winry wiped the sweat off her face; she looked down at the pieces of mechanical devices on the table and wondered what the next step should be. After all the fuss over Edward's and Alphonse's sudden stay this night she never really had the time to think about the new process on Ed's auto-mail. She picked up a piece of tool and without warning; a picture of Ed came to her mind. 

It had been a year since Ed and Al's last stopover at her house, she would not call it a visit or anything nice like that, they came here only because Ed's auto-mail had gotten into a really bad situation. It was the same reason every time. They came as they went, without leaving a goodbye they only told her the cause of their departure. They always left before she had the chance to tell them to be careful, or to watch out for danger. But who was she kidding? They live a world _made_ of danger. She wanted them to stay more than anyone else, but she knew the determination on their faces was something she could not stand upon. They carried a deep burden, and she understood the pain that they held.

What could she do to help them? Ever since her parents died her wish for helping the sick and poor was planted deep in her mind, and after she saw the tragic that happened to the Elrics… her determination grew even stronger. She knew what she had to do.

_Father and mother… I'm trying my best._

She thought about the condition she was in, and felt a sharp pain of guilt. Would her parents be happy with the state of her shop? She lost aunt Pinako two years ago; she was left all alone to continue the business. Feeling the weight of her thoughts bearing down on her, she bit her lip. She would never admit it to herself, but now she felt it clearly- she was so tired. Tired of worrying about the money, about Ed and Al, most of all, she was tired of being alone. Sure there was the dog… but at night, or times like this she had to bear the worry and the guilt alone.

She stepped back and stared at the door of the room where Ed slept in. _Ed,_ her heart ached, _don't you see how much I missed you?_ There are so many things she wanted to tell him, so much emotions burning inside of her.

_You never really see me, do you?_ She realized sadly, she could see the distance between them, how Ed was trying not to get too close to her, and it hurt.

Shutting her eyes Winry allowed this short period of time for her to actually remember, remember the apologetic smile they had when they entered her house, remember how the scars had gained both on Ed's auto-mails and the empty shell that kept Al's sanity through these years, remember the shadows that loomed on their backs when they talked, and remember the slightest tremor on her lips when they refused to tell her what they went through. All these images washed over her, crashed over her.

Stifling back a silent sob, droplets of tear fell on the cold surface of the auto-mail she held close to. She must not let them see her fear; she must not let them see her crying. This was her own little secret- it was the least she could do. She had to be the strong one; the very being supporting their backs silently during all these suffocating years. Throwing her shoulders back and adjusting her pose, she watched the white ceiling above for a few moments before forcing herself not to think much further.

With a rustle of her gloves to wipe away the tears, Winry wordlessly concentrated back on the fixing.

* * *

Darkness. In every direction, everywhere he turned; there it was, slithering, engulfing his body. It made his head throb, his breaths rapid and his heart pound in panic. He tried to open his mouth, but no sound came. The silence ringing in his ears was driving him mad. He advanced forward as darkness enveloped him deeper into an endless dimension. 

Unexpectedly, a gate emerged before him. His pace quickened until he reached the towering pieces of steel and paused, watching the lights dance on his face through the crack between the doors that seemed so heavy. He heard laughter, childish laughter brushing past his cheek luring him to push open the gates and step into this unknown territory. He did, with a light touch of his fingertip, the gate creaked without warning and he found himself standing in a familiar room facing the faces that were all too painfully well-known.

There were three people crouching on the floor, giggling and smiling, two boys with bright golden hair sat on either side of a woman, drawing a huge circle while the woman stared in awe. She patted softly on their heads when they finished, the looks on the boys' faces were of mere happiness, their eyes shining with pride. He felt his breath caught in his throat when he saw the boys nodded to each other, both placing their hands on the ground where the circle was drawn.

_No,_ his mind pleaded.

Then, electric bolts flew, blinding his eyes as the room flashed in colors of blue and white. The laughter died, the walls were splattered by a sickening shade of crimson as the smell of smoke and blood assaulted his senses. When the smoke cleared, he no longer saw three people crouching in the middle. Instead, a dark, shadowed twisted form of a human lied in the circle, its eyes reflected horrible flames of hatred and blame directly at him.

"_You,"_ the creature hissed like a knife piercing through his very core. _"You made me turn into a monster!"_

He covered his eyes with his hands and stepped back, despair creeping into his mind as a silent scream of agony ripped through the gloomy atmosphere. His knees gave away and he slid down to the floor, clutching onto his head madly.

"_Ed…"_ a very soft, melodious soothing voice echoed.

He loosened his grip when a gentle breeze fluttered by, whispering his name into his ears.

"_Don't be afraid…"_

A calming wisp of air penetrated the darkness like a blow of breath; he couldn't help but close his eyes and leaned in to the warmth.

"_Come to me."_

A pair of frail hands clasped onto his cold ones suddenly. He opened his eyes again and his muscles froze rigid cold at the sight of the person kneeling in front of him.

Her beautiful long blond hair fell around her shoulders and hung down her back delicately, the color of her flesh was of china white. She smiled at him, a heart wrenching smile that gnawed at his mind but her blue orbs were seas of calm and reserved beauty. Her fingers clenched around his securely and right at that instant he wanted nothing more but to touch her face. It shattered him to pieces by seeing her with a smile so heartbreaking. He reached out to her when she seemed to speak with her eyes as they were gazing upon him with a sense of foreboding. His pupils expanded, when he saw shadows lurking after as two hands were placed on her shoulders, and she closed her eyes. The scene made his stomach churn, more hands came forward clawing and snatching her away from his body. He cried out in torment but found out he couldn't move. Her eyes stayed closed, seemingly unaware of the swarming arms. He struggled madly but felt another pair of strong hands pressing on his own shoulders, crushing him to the ground.

"_I need you…but…"_

The last thing he glimpsed before he collapsed were the deep, sorrowful eyes that belonged to the only woman he had ever cared.

＊

Edward Elric bolted awake, cold sweat dripping from his face as he gasped for breath, his heart pounded heavily against his ears and he fought to sustain himself.

"Brother?"

Ed whirled his head to the sound and was met by two empty holes of a metallic armor standing before him.

"What's wrong?" His brother, Alphonse asked in concern.

"Winry…" was the first word that escaped his mouth, and his eyes searched around the room frantically. "Where is she!"

"Winry? I guess she's in the dining room-" before Al could finish his sentence Ed scampered out of the bed and shoved the door open. There she was with her back to him, the lamp on the table cast shadows down her spine; her work outfit hung limply around her waist and loose strands of gold hair fell on her bare shoulders. He gazed at the imaginary hands that weren't there.

_A dream,_ he said to himself._ Damn that dream._

Al, who watching his brother in confusion the whole time was about to call out, but when he saw Winry turning toward Ed he decided to keep silent.

"Ed!" Winry noticed the door was yanked open behind her and she turned to see Ed with a relieved expression on his face. "You scared me! Aren't you supposed to be in bed right now?"

When she heard no reply, she stepped toward him and discovered he was sweating. Her concerned eyes locked with his gold ones. "Are you all right?"

"What?" Ed had been so caught up with his dream that he didn't realize he was standing in front of Winry practically naked with only his boxers on. He felt the situation very awkward as he stammered, "Uh I-it really was nothing, yeah, I should go back to bed-"

He stopped when she touched his shoulder, sending electric bolts throughout his body. He followed her stare and looked down at the auto-mail that wasn't there. He left it to Winry to repair it a few hours ago.

"I'm sorry, I should've given you another auto-mail while I work on your broken one." She showed an apologetic smile that brought up his dream again. "It must be difficult not having your right arm ne?"

He didn't say anything.

"Wait here I'll go fetch an auto-mail for you temporarily." She left and scurried upstairs, leaving a speechless Ed standing rooted to the floor. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was three in the morning and she was still fixing his auto-mail? Did she get any rest at all? He turned and saw the scattered mechanic devices on the table where his busted auto-mail laid. He never knew the reason why his auto-mail could be restored so quickly every time he passed it to Winry. He never thought about the dim lights that peered through the crack of the door every time he dozed off to sleep. He never questioned, he only told her to hurry up and finish the work so he could set off on his journey again. And yet she never really complained.

"Sit." Winry instructed when she came back downstairs with an auto-mail in her hand. He obeyed and pulled out a chair to sit on, Winry did the same. In the room where Ed and Winry sat, it was quiet as each concentrated on the task ahead.

Furrowing her brows and focusing on the essential shoulder joint, Winry leaned closer. Ed could smell the light sweet scent of her hair, he missed that smell. He recalled, it was the first time they had ever been this close with only the two of them alone.

"It has been a long year, hasn't it?" Winry was the first to break the silence.

"Yeah." Ed's whole body relaxed, sinking deeper onto the chair. It had been so long since his last trip to her house to get his auto-mail repaired. Although he knew he would never admit it, but he liked these moments, because it was a time between Winry and him only and thus were special and meant for them only.

"So…what happened?"

"Usual." He replied quietly.

Winry didn't look up. She expected this answer somehow. "You haven't changed a bit you know."

He stared down and a small smile dawned on his lips. "And you have changed a lot."

Winry didn't seem to hear him as she sighed, "You know I just can't see what you've been doing to your arm. Each time you gave it to me the conditions only gotten worse. Do you know how much effort I have put to get them into shape again and again?"

Ed snorted and looked away. "It's not like I want this to happen."

Winry's eye twitched. "Well you could _at least_ prevent it from happening! Don't you know you're supposed to listen to your mechanic?"

"I would if you will stop shouting at me every time my arm is broken!"

"Do you think I want to? And I don't think you will listen to me either!"

"That's because you always say the same stuff!"

"They're for your own good you idiot!"

"Geez Winry you can be so annoying sometimes!" The glare she sent him was painful but not nearly as much as the screwdriver hilt Winry slammed into his knee.

"OW DAMN IT! What the hell Winry!"

"Shut up Ed! You're such a baby!"

"Abusive mechanic freak!"

"Midget!"

That certainly infuriated him. He jumped off the chair attempting to catch Winry ignoring the fact that his auto-mail was loosely attached to his shoulder, his blond mechanic yelped and was about to make a dash away from him when he took a good hold on her shoulders too quickly that she didn't have time to react, before they knew it they were both falling down to the floor and Ed switched sides with Winry hastily so that he was underneath to hit the ground followed by a loud thump. Moments later hearing the person underneath her groan, Winry opened her eyes and saw a very irritated Ed glaring up directly at her. She noticed a piece of metal lying a few feet away, his auto-mail had been detached from his shoulder.

"Oops," Winry giggled at the scowl on his face.

"You stupid girl," Ed shot her daggers with his golden eyes.

Winry laughed, her musical tone drifted into Ed's ears. "Welcome back home Ed! Welcome back home."

He blinked when she got up and reached down her hand with a warm smile plastered on her face. His mind was a total blank and he lied there on the floor, staring at her palm.

"Get up you big baby."

Slowly, he sat up from his original position and scratched his head, his face hidden by golden bangs. He took her hand timidly as she helped him stand up.

She could never see the look on his face.

Winry picked up his temporary auto-mail and stuck her tongue out playfully.

She must not see.

-

-

-

Later that night, Ed entered his room to find Al standing behind the door suspiciously and when Al saw his brother return, he chuckled nervously.

"Al? What were you doing behind that door?" Ed asked in a flat voice pointing toward Al's direction.

"Nothing! I'm just wondering why you haven't return yet!" he waved his hands in the air.

"…Were you _prying_?" Ed asked in a deadly tone.

Al paused for a moment, then nodded his head.

Ed held up a trembling fist slowly, "Tell me, what did you see?"

"I saw the expression on your face." Al said in a happy tone, unaware of an alchemist who was about to explode.

"YOU WERE WAYCHING THE WHOLE TIME!"

"Uhh…yes?"

"ALPHONSE ELRIC!"

An angry shout roared from Winry's house that night, Al sniggered inwardly. He did see his brother's expression when Winry held out her hand to him.

_Stupid brother, why don't you let her see?_

Al saw it clearly from behind that door earlier, Ed was blushing. Even now when he angrily marched to his bed and almost tore the bed sheet to pieces, the blush still stayed on his face.

It was the first blush in many years.

* * *

**My first attempt on FMA…**

**It will get darker in later chapters, I kinda had a vague idea in my head.**

**Suggestions are always welcome! Please tell me what you think :D**

**Continue?**


	2. Stranger

**Dream with Me**

By Vitreux

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Chapter Two**

Stranger

* * *

"Nii-san! Nii-san, wake up!"

Ed groaned and turned sideways on the bed.

"Nii-san!"

"Hmm…" he murmured in his sleep.

"Nii-san, you better wake up."

"Whaaaat?" Ed squinted as the sunlight glared in his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost lunchtime," Al replied, knowing his brother was not a morning person. "And you should go to the living room."

Ed sat up from the bed and yawned. Stretching his arms as far as he could he asked lazily, "Did I miss something?"

"It's about Winry." Like an alarm clock, the sleepiness immediately vanished away from Ed when he heard her name. Jumping out of the bed in a swift movement he stared solemnly into his brother's empty holes.

"What's going on?"

Surprised at Ed's sudden recovery Al waved both of his metallic hands in the air, "Nothing serious. It's just that there's someone here that we don't know."

Ed raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

When they both went to the living room Ed found himself wrapped up in a very sweet, delicious smell of potato soup. He clutched onto his stomach automatically and took a deep breath in. "Something smells good!"

"I hope it does!" Winry appeared behind the kitchen door in her usual white top with black skirt and smiled brightly. "Hello you two sleepyheads, had a good sleep last night?"

"Nii-san sure did." Al pulled out a chair, making metallic noises as he tempted to sit down more quietly.

"That's good to know. Lunch will be ready soon!" Winry went back into the kitchen. Ed sat down beside Al and reduced his volume.

"I don't see anyone."

Al looked around and scratched his head in thought. He was sure he heard Winry talking to someone in the kitchen this morning. Perhaps he made a mistake?

"But I thought I heard voices in the kitchen this morning. Nii-san maybe… nii-san?"

Al turned to see an unmoving Ed. He sat there with both of his palms on his legs; his golden eyes had full attention on something across the table. Al followed his brother's gaze and sensed a new presence in this room. Right beside Winry, was a young man. Dark brown hair and deep red eyes, his features were sharp with mystery. Broad shoulders with a dark blouse on, he was everything opposite of the girl beside him. Soft blond hair clashed with shady brown, milky white skin collided with healthy tan, innocent azure eyes compared to wanton crimson- it was like day and night. Al had never seen this man in his life before, a complete stranger, and quite a dashing one at that.

"Ed, Al, I want you to meet Rem. Rem, this is Ed and Al, they're my childhood friends." Winry introduced.

"Who are you?" Ed asked with a hint of mistrust in his voice.

"Ed-" Winry rolled her eyes. "I met him while you guys are traveling. He came from another town and was wandering around on the country road when I saw him. He helped me quite a few times before, I thought it'd be nice to invite him to stay here for a while."

_I don't really want to be alone anyway…_ Winry added silently. _A little company wouldn't hurt._

_I bet he didn't think Winry only as a friend._ A voice gnawed at the back of Ed's head. His thoughts were in a complete mess. From the moment he saw this stranger, Ed had sensed threat even though Rem had a smile on his face. Winry would rarely let any stranger inside her house so they must have had known each other for quite some time now. With his protective instincts flaring, he stood up without even realizing it. His body tensed and he stared straight into Rem's crimson eyes.

"Nii-san…" Al became worried at his brother's actions.

"Nice to meet you, Edward, is it? Winry often speaks of you." Flashing a smile Rem held out his hand.

Ed glanced at his offer. _Calling her Winry already?_ He shook hands with him unwillingly and quickly let go.

Rem turned toward Al and held out his hand again. "Glad to meet you too Alphonse." Surprisingly, he was not shocked like a normal person would; speaking with a giant metal armour was not something that happens in everyday life.

"It's my pleasure." Al replied politely.

Rem bowed his head down and whispered into Winry's ears, Winry in return giggled and slapped him playfully on his shoulder; her melodious burst stung Ed like jolts of thunder. He was stunned by her reaction toward this foreigner. Ed had known her all his life, they grew up together, they were each other's backup, he thought he was the one who understood her the most. He watched Winry's lips curved up into a gorgeous smile, and the one who made her smile that way wasn't him. On his journeys with Al, his thoughts often drifted to Winry. This innocent, brave, beautiful childhood friend he learned to protect even with his life- Was she safe? Was she happy? Was she staying up late at night fixing auto-mail? Every time he stopped by her house he had to restrain himself. Blood and deceit was common in his world, not her world. There was no way in hell he would even take the slightest chance of danger into her world, that was why he had always kept a distance, and why he refused to tell her what happened on his journeys.

His gaze was once drawn back to the present Winry. Was Rem by her side when he wasn't? Was Rem the one to soothe her tears away when he couldn't? It pained him to think much further.

"Ah the food! I totally forgot! Ed and Al please take care of Rem for me, he's our special guest." With a wink Winry disappeared in the kitchen like a wisp of wind.

An awkward silence followed.

"Take a seat!" Al sensed the uncomfortable atmosphere and elbowed Ed, if he could make facial expressions he would definitely gave his brother a stern look. "You too, nii-san."

Ed tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his heart but having Rem's crimson eyes fixed on him wasn't of much help, it only stirred up his alertness. Rem's eyes were like a bottomless scarlet dimension, he could not see anything reflected under those orbs. It was a barrier he could not penetrate.

"Do I have something on my face?" Rem chuckled when he noticed Ed was pinning him to a wall with his golden eyes.

A vein popped up on Ed's forehead. _Be cool Ed, be cool._ He would be damned if he lost his perseverance to Rem. "Not really," he started, "I just don't think you live around this town. I haven't seen your face before."

"I came from Maycomb, you know the town further up north?"

Maycomb? Of course Ed knew, three years had passed since his last visit to that little town. Nothing much special, but the tomatoes Maycomb produced were the best in the entire world.

"How did you end up here, then?"

Rem had a thoughtful look on his face which Ed found rather irritating.

"I began traveling eight months ago, Maycomb just wasn't enough for me. I have to see the world with my own eyes, I guess I'm the curious type. Then I met Winry," Rem smiled upon mentioning her name. "It was a coincidence really. Winry is a very fine young lady."

Usually Ed would be proud if he heard someone made a compliment on Winry, but hearing those words from the man sitting across the table… just didn't sound right. He sighed inwardly, knowing Winry's personality she sure must have had reached her hand out to a complete stranger, being the caring young woman she had become.

"How long will you be staying here for, Rem?" Al questioned.

"He can stay here as long as he likes, Al." Winry's voice interrupted their conversation. With plates of food on her hands she started placing them down on the table. "Unless he has other plans in his mind."

She took off her pink apron and sat down beside Rem, giving him a warm smile.

Ed's throat tightened.

Al watched his brother quietly from beside. _He's worried_, he thought with certainty._ He is fearing._ It was all there- clearly on Ed's face. The blankness in his eyes, how his lips parted, hints of warmth vanishing from his skin… he was afraid. And Al knew exactly what it was that Ed had feared. He turned to see Winry scooping potato soup into a bowl, and Rem next to her was cutting bread into four slices. It was an image that looked so ordinary, so practiced.

Winry put the bowl of soup in front of Ed and noticed the blank look on his face. "Ed?" she asked worriedly. "Ed? Are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Thanks… Winry."

She frowned slightly. "Is something the matter?"

His aimless gaze locked with her concerned eyes. "I'm sorry?"

Winry put her spoon back down and searched in Ed's eyes for a reason to his unusual behavior. She was unaware that Rem was studying her at the same time. Rem had noticed the way her eyebrows were knotted together and concern was clearly etched on her face. Her full concentration was on her childhood friend across the table, and the expression she had not only consisted of worry, but also something else, something naked in her eyes.

It was not a look one was supposed to have for only a friend.

Suddenly Rem felt bothered. Very, very bothered.

"Winry-" he began hastily, "The food's getting cold."

"What? Oh right. Umm, Ed, do you need a rest?"

Ed shook his head. He picked up his spoon and sipped his soup; it was still hot and burned his tongue.

* * *

"Nii-san… are you okay?" Al closed the door behind him and walked to where his brother sat. When he heard no reply, he gave out a sigh. "It's about Rem and Winry, isn't it?"

Ed expanded his pupils and tossed his head up. "Wh-what are you talking about? I'm fine! I'm totally cool."

"You're not very good at lying."

Ed stared hopelessly at Al for a moment and fell flat on his back on the bed. "No," he admitted. "It's just that… I've never seen Winry so close with a stranger."

"Rem's only a stranger to us." Al reminded.

"It's so sudden, I think I'm the only one here who's still in shock. I mean, _who is he_?"

"Yeah… we don't really know much about him, but since Winry let him stay I guess he's not a bad person."

Ed scoffed and blew a strand of hair away from his face. "My instincts told me Rem was hiding something from us. I don't believe a word he says."

"Hiding something? Like what?"

"I don't know… there's something in his eyes." Ed pointed at his own gold ones. "I can't read him."

"… Maybe we should keep an eye on him."

Ed was lost in his thoughts for a while. "Is he really staying here with us?"

"Looks like it."

"I don't like him."

Al chuckled at his direct statement. "I know."

Ed eyed his brother. "I'm being serious. I don't know why I feel this way… it was as if… as if… nevermind." He turned away and hugged the pillow nearby.

"Wanna talk about something?" Al asked in the quiet room. He might be younger than Ed but mentally he was always the calm and mature one.

Ed fell silent.

"Alright, let's change the topic then. How long do _you_ plan on staying here?"

Ed mumbled something into the pillow which Al failed to catch.

"Stop talking to the pillow nii-san, I don't understand you."

"We're not leaving!" Ed threw the pillow away and leaped out of the bed. He made his way toward the doorway and grumbled, "We're staying too."

"Where are you going?"

"Bathroom!" the door flung closed.

-

Ed splashed cold water on his face and a deep sigh escaped his lips. He scolded at his reflection in the mirror, _what's wrong with me? Acting all sensitive and childlike…_

He reached for the towel and wiped the droplets away; stopping his movement suddenly a sweet scent of cherry blossoms engulfed his senses. He withdrew his head and stared at the light blue towel he held in his hands.

_This scent belongs to Winry._

_Winry._ His eyes saddened at the thought of her.

_Winry, Winry, Winry._ He was not stupid. He was aware of the erratic beatings of his heart every time he saw her and the tingling sensation that spread on his neck when she smiled at him. He knew he cared about her a lot, perhaps too much; she was the only source that could make him smile from the bottom of his heart alongside with Al. His lips curved up slightly at the memory of them playing together when they were kids, before there were only four things that mattered in his world- his mother, his brother, alchemy, and Winry. It hadn't changed much today, only that his mother died and this Rem just popped out of nowhere.

He shuddered upon remembering seeing how close they were during lunchtime, and he felt an irrational, developing fury beginning to build inside. His anger soon faded however, when he realized he had no right to be mad at all. It was him who decided to draw a line to keep Winry at a distance, and he was not the one by her side whenever she felt lonely. No, it was Rem.

He admitted, he felt bitterness when he saw the two of them side by side, and it was not a familiar feeling. Emotions seemed to pulsate visibly on his face, his jaw was set, and his lips thinned into a grim line. His hands curled into a tight fist and he began to shook, from anxiety or fear he did not bother to find out.

_I would always be there when you need me._ His heart screamed. But he couldn't, he did not want to lure her into danger. It was ironic how his heart yearned for something so much, yet his actions chose to deny it.

Before he could think more than he needed Ed silenced his thoughts. He held onto the towel for a moment longer and placed it back on the hanger. Turning the doorknob he stepped outside and felt his blood run cold in his veins.

* * *

Winry finished washing the dishes and wiped her hands on the dishcloth. She could not take her mind off Ed, she kept wondering if he was all right, if he was feeling sick. Rem dried his hands as well and gazed at her from beside.

"Winry?"

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking?"

Winry returned his gaze. "Am I that obvious?"

Rem smiled at her gently.

"It's about Ed…" she started and shook her head. "He's acting strangely."

"You're worried about him." Rem spoke her thoughts out loud and a soft shade of pink touched her cheeks.

_She looks adorable._ Rem thought. He parted his lips to ask something, but the words died in his mouth. He switched to another subject. "Does it bother you that I'm staying here? Since they came back from their trip… I'm counted as an outsider."

Winry's eyes blue orbs flew to his crimson ones. "What are you talking about, Rem? I offered you a place to stay, and I'm gonna keep to that promise. Please don't think too much, I'm sure Ed and Al won't mind either."

Rem's eyes narrowed slightly when he remembered the person who had stared at him so fiercely the moment Winry introduced him. Gold hair and gold eyes.

"Does he stop by very often?"

Winry stared down at her hands. "Not exactly… his last stay was over a year ago."

"That's not very appropriate, leaving you all alone with a dog to run this shop."

"No! That's not it," Winry quickly explained. "He… he got his own issues to handle. I don't blame him."

Her last sentence echoed in Rem's head. He shifted his gaze back on the dishes and didn't speak for a long time.

"Is he here to stay, too?"

Winry sighed heavily; Rem understood the meaning behind the weight of her tone.

"I don't know… he'll leave as soon as I finished fixing his auto-mail. He always does."

"But I'm here."

Startled, Winry turned to face him with questions in her eyes.

Rem did not falter; instead he stepped closer to Winry and held her hands. "_It's okay to cry_." He whispered.

That was it. Winry's tears began to spill freely down her cheeks. She couldn't help it, she didn't know where they came from it just happened. All these years she was holding back, trying so hard not to break down every time pieces of her life began to disappear. First it was her parents, then it was Granny, and there was Ed and Al. Rem's words had interfered the delicate balance in her heart and left her feeling lost and abandoned.

"I… I don't know what to do… _why did they have to leave me?_" she brought her hands to her face and sobbed. "Is it because I'm a burden to them?"

Rem pulled her into his arms and felt a developing heat consuming his body. _What did she do to deserve this? If I were to be Edward or Alphonse I would never let this happen. They are foolish enough to leave Winry behind and let her suffer like this._ He could feel the trembles Winry sent and his heart ached.

"I won't leave you." He promised.

Winry was too caught up in her emotions to notice the bathroom door had been opened, when she noticed Ed was standing there watching them time seemed to stop and all she could do was to stare back.

From that day on, Winry could never forget the look on Ed's face. It was a mixture between shock, anger, and pain.

* * *

**Author's notes: **Sorry for the long delay... the plot to the story was revealed! Learn more about Rem through next chapter, and perhaps how he and Winry met. So did you guys like it? Please send me a review and tell me your suggestions! 


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